Inking carriage



Dec. 31, 1929. H. c. RYAN INKING CARRIAGE Filed Dec. 27. 1927 w W i ww l I m Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATE INKING CARRIAGE Application filed December 27, 1927. Serial No. 2%,789.

This invention relates to inking carriages and more particularly to the type having fountain supporting rollers arranged to ink the supporting surface over which the car riage travels, and the invention is especially applicable in acolor press of the type set forth in detail in my co-pending application, Serial No. 242,788,1iled of even date herewith.

An object of my invention is to provide in such a carriage a plurality of carriage bearing rollers and to so arrange the same that re gardless of the direction of carriage movement the leading roller will feed ink upon the surface over which the carriage moves and the following roller will act upon the supporting surface as an ink distributing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a carriage simple in construction and readily disassembled for cleaning of its 2 parts, as when the color of ink employed therein is to be changed.

Stillanother object of the invention is to provide in such a carriage a removable ink containing fountain whereby when the ink color is to be changed the fountain may be replaced by one containing the proper color of ink, thus making it unnecessary to empty, clean and refill the fountain.

And still another object of my invention is to provide novel means for metering the ink delivered from the fountain through the rolls and onto the surface to be inked.

A further object of my invention is to provide means upon the carriage frame for maintherefor as set forth in my co-pending application to which reference has been made.

And still a further object is to provide means for the necessary adjustments of the parts to insure proper functioning thereof independent of weight of the fountain and contents, characteristics of ink employed, and wear.

The exact nature of the invention together with further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention, parts being broken away to show details of containing the carriage in guiding ways provided struction, and showing the whole as moving to the right over a supporting surface; and Fig. 2 is a top view of the same but with the cover appearing in Fig. 1, removed.

Referring now to the drawings, what might be considered the base of the inking carriage is formed of a pair of identical frame members each having a side plate portion 2 and end portions 3 which'together form the ends of a closed rectangular frame. The side plate portions of the frame extend upwardly centrally thereof and have extensions 4; parallel with and of equal length with the end portions 3. The end portions 3 and the eXtensions l carry at their extremities flanges as indicated through which pass bolts 5 secured as by wing nuts 6 whereby the two frame members may be held together as a solid base or frame and conveniently separated when desired.

The side plate portions have openings 21 forming handles 22.

In the side plate portions 2 are bearings for the five rollers indicated. Centrally mounted is the transfer roller 7, and mounted to hear one upon each side against this roller is an idler roller 8. Adjacent each end of the frame is a supporting roller 9, extending below the side plate portions 2 of the frame whereby the frame issupported therebetween. The hearing openings for the idler rollers 8 and the supporting rollers 9, are elongated as indicated in Fig. 1 whereby these rollers may be shifted in the frame.

The idler rollers 8 are maintained in contact with the transfer roller 7 by springs 17, each extending between collars 18 on the projecting ends of the idler roller shafts.

The supporting rollers 9 by their lagging tendency as the carriage is moved move in their bearings to contact with or clear each its adjacent idler roller depending on the dime tion of movement of the carriage, so that regardless of the direction of carriage movement, the leading roller 9 contacts with its roller 8, and the following roller 9 clears its roller 8. r r

The upstanding portions of the frame, includin the extensions 4 thereof, forms therebetween a rectangular opening of some con sidcrable depth, directly over the transfer roller 7.

Fitting in this opening for free vertical movement is a box 10 having a cover 11 and having its bottom formed of a pair of sloping members 12. The opposite extremities of the members 12 are finished off cylindrically as indicated to fit a valve roller 13. The valve roller fits between the faces of the members 12 with sufficient accuracy to prevent escape of ink except for the thin layer necessarily deposited upon the face of the valve roller as it rotates, and I prefer to slightly undercut the face of the valve roller by spaced longitudinally extending grooves as indicated.

The box 10 and the valve roller together form a fountain supported by the bearing of the valve roller 13 upon the transfer roller 7 assisted by springs 19 adjustable by threaded bolts 20.

The inking operation of the carriage will be as follows As the carriage is traversed by the handles 22 over a surface to be inked, the leading supporting roller 9 moves to contact with and bear against its corresponding idler roller 8. Rotary motion of the supporting roller is transferred by this hearing, through the idler roller, to the transfer roller 7 which in turn causes rotation of the valve roller 13. Ink is thus metered out by the fountain onto the transfer roller whence it passes by way of one of the idler rollers to the leading supporting roller, and therefrom onto the surface over which the inking carriage is moving.

Owing to the clearance between the following supporting roller and its adjacent idler roller no ink transfer takes place therebetween and the following supporting roller therefore by its bearing upon the surface being inked, acts thereon merely as a distributing roller.

Reversal of the motion of the inking carriage results in a reversal of the direction of rotation of all of the rollers 7, 8, 9,9 and 13 and a. reversal of the inking functioning of the idler and supporting rollers.

The leading idler roller 8 always acts to transfer ink from the transfer roller 7 to the leading supporting roller, and the following idler roller acts in distribution of the ink upon. the transfer roller.

For the purpose of guiding the inking carriage in its movement, I provide extensions 16 downwardly extending from the frame below the extremities of the supporting rollers, it being understood that the extensions 16 are adapted to bear against suitable way members provided as described in my co-pending application to which reference has been made.

It will be clear that by the arrangement set forth the parts will always function as described rcgardless of wear of the roller faces or the roller bearings.

hat I claim is:

1. In an inking carriage, a frame having side plate portions, a pair of inking rollers mounted in said portions, one of said rollers being arranged to feed ink to the other roller, said other roller being arranged in support ing relation with said frame and being movable therein to engage or clear, dependent upon the direction of carriage movement, the first roller.

2. In an inking carriage of the class described, a frame comprised of a pair of members, each member having a side plate portion, and end portions inwardly extending therefrom and separably joined together, inking rollers bearing in said side plate portions, and ink supply means carried by said frame.

3. In an inking carriage, a frame having ink-carrying means thereon, and a roller arranged in supporting relation with said frame and movable therein in the plane of rolling movement to contact with or clear said ink-carrying means, whereby when the carriage is moved in one direction said roller will transfer ink from said ink-carrying means to the surface over which the carriage is moved, and when the carriage is moved in the opposite direction the roller will clear and thus receive no ink from said ink-carrying means.

t. In an inking carriage, a frame having ink-carrying means thereon, and a pair of rollers arranged in supporting relation with said frame and movable therein in the plane of rolling movement to contact with or clear said ink-carrying means, whereby when the carriage is moved in either direction, the leading roller will transfer ink from said ink-carrying means to the surface over which the carriage is moved, and the followin roller will clear and thus receive no ink from said inkcarrying means, but will serve in distribution of ink deposited by said leading roller.

In testimony whereof I hereby ailix my si nature.

HARRISON CALVIN RYAN. 

